James Explains: Transactional Email

Hi Ladies and Gents! Wishing you a Happy Spring from the JangoSMTP headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.

Welcome to the fist James Explains post. As you may have guessed, I'm James, the new JangoSMTP mascot. I'm so excited to be here and help you boost your sales with transactional email tips and best practices. Today we're going to review the basics so everyone new has a little background.

So, let me explain: Transactional Email
The CAN-SPAM act defines a transactional message as one that “facilitates an already agreed-upon transaction or updates a customer about an ongoing transaction.” The list of possible examples is a long one and includes things like order and shipping confirmations, invoices, receipts, appointment reminders, backorder notices, and username/password retrieval messages – all have some of the highest open rates out there!

An emailed appointment reminder is just
one example of a transactional message.

While the primary purpose of a transactional email is not to promote products or services, they are an excellent opportunity to do exactly that. Transactional messages experience open rates that are nearly twice the average open rates for traditional email marketing messages like a newsletter.

Recipients are often anticipating these messages before they even arrive. A customer is inherently interested in opening a transactional message, too, because they know it will contain information pertinent to a purchase they've just made or a password they've just requested. Are you ready to start taking strategic advantage of the unique opportunity to engage a customer who's already waiting for your message to arrive?

There are a few transactional email musts that you should keep in mind along the way. Tune in for my next post when I explain why you should NOT use a no-reply address.

Special thanks to JangoSMTP Account Executive, Erica Melzer, for helping me with this post!

Cheers,

James The Jangolope
Department of Awesome
JangoSMTP

About James

James the Jangolope is our JangoSMTP mascot. Each month, look for our new “James Explains” emails and blog posts on transactional email advice, trends, and quick tips. James will offer insight on how to improve your SMTP plan and how to use your JangoSMTP account to the fullest  

What is a Jangolope? Find out HERE

We want to hear from you. Have a topic you would like James to cover? Email us at marketing@us.jangomail.com with the subject line: James Explains. Follow James on Facebook

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How Cold is Too Cold for Rover… and what’s it got to do with JangoSMTP?

By: Erica Melzer

Account Executive
Most of our customers aren't located in Dayton, Ohio. So, you may not been experiencing the record-breaking cold temperatures that we have this winter. Still, chances are, you do live in a region where it gets uncomfortably hot or cold at some point during the year. And, if not, lucky you.

The rest of us, especially those with pets, could certainly benefit from having a thermostat or sensor that would send us an email if the temperature in our house dropped below or rose above certain temperature thresholds. Nest thermostats that do exactly that and they use an SMTP server, just like ours, to send those messages.

Texas A&M University's Department of Veterinary Medicine says, “It is generally accepted that indoor pets are not acclimated to cold weather.” So, despite their wild origins and furry coats, most domesticated breeds (especially those with short hair) should never be kept in temperatures below 45°F.  Regarding warmer temperatures, the AKC said in a recent blog post that “...most dogs begin to show signs of overheating between 81-85°F.”

Photo courtesy of Bethan Hazell.

Find out if your thermostat is capable of alerting you to dramatic changes in temperature. If so, create a Free Trial Account. Then, all you need to do is adjust your thermostat's settings and tell it that JangoSMTP is your relay provider. Our free trial volume will be more than you'll ever need. This peace of mind will never cost you a dime.

If you have any questions about setting something like this up, call 888-465-2646 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (US/EST) and talk to one of our knowledgeable Support Reps. That's right, our free trial accounts get phone support, too!